@DEN_Sports tweet of the day: A fan just hit 6 free throws in 30 seconds during intermission. About half of the amount of points #EKU has for the whole half.
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Sports Editor Dominic Renzetti 217 • 581 • 2812 DENSportsdesk@gmail.com
T H E DA I LY E ASTE R N NEWS D A I LY E A S T E R N N E W S . C O M
F R I DAY, F E B R UA RY 3, 2012 N o. 1 8 5 , V O L U M E 9 6
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Second half run gives Eastern Kentucky victory Losing streak extends to 7
RUN, page 7
TR ACK
Track team heads to Notre Dame Records fell at last year’s event By Dominic Renzetti Sports Editor
By Rob Mortell Staff Report
A critical 11-0 Eastern Kentucky run in a low scoring game with Eastern’s men’s basketball team was all the Colonels needed for a 47-43 victory over the Panthers on Thursday. Lantz Arena did not have much to cheer about, except its team was in the lead at halftime 18-16. Although the game was not a fan’s dream, or even a player’s, for that matter, the teams battled in a close Ohio Valley Conference game. The Panthers went on a 10-4 run to open the second half and led 2820 with 15 minutes left in the game. The game would go back and forth for the next few minutes with Eastern maintaining control of the scoreboard. Down 33-27 Eastern Kentucky guard Mike DiNunno hit a jumper that catapulted the Colonels run. After a three-point shot by guard Joshua Jones, the guard cut to the basket and converted on the game’s only lead change. The run ended when an alley-oop pass was dunked by Eastern’s red-shirt junior forward James Hollowell. The score was 38-35 and Eastern Kentucky never looked back. The Colonels slowed the pace of the game down with a deliberate offensive attack and the use of multiple zones on defense. Eastern Kentucky held a 44-37 lead with a minute remaining in the game and the Panthers did everything they could to come back, but in the end the deficit was too large. Eastern lost its seventh consecutive game 47-43 and falls to 9-13 overall and 2-8 in the OVC, while Eastern Kentucky improves to 6-5 in conference play and 13-11.
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MIR ANDA PLOSS | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Men’s basketball coach Mike Miller uses a timeout to go over a play with senior forward Zavier Sanders Thursday during the Panthers’ 47-43 loss to Eastern Kentucky in Lantz Arena. The Panthers have lost seven straight, taking a 9-13 record into their next game Saturday against Morehead State at 7 p.m. at home.
The Eastern men’s and women’s track and field team will head to the Notre Dame Meyo Invite this weekend in South Bend, Ind. The Panthers are coming off another Indiana based competition, the Indiana Relays and Indiana University-Bloomington, in which the team saw red-shirt senior Zye Boey, junior Erika Ramos and red-shirt junior Sean Wiggan all take home first place finishes. Boey will enter the weekend as the reigning two-week Ohio Valley Conference Male Track Athlete of the Week, as well as nationally ranked in the men’s 60-meter and 200-meter dash. Boey is No. 18 in the 60-meter dash and No. 7 in the 200-meter dash. Ramos and Wiggan are each coming off weekends in which they both set Eastern records in their respective events. They will each try and duplicate their performances again this weekend. Red-shirt sophomore pole vaulter Mick Viken, who has fallen out of the top twenty five national rankings, will go up against Notre Dame senior Kevin Schipper, who is ranked No. 14 in the nation. Since the first meet of the season, the Early Bird, which the Panthers hosted, Viken has struggled to get back to his recent success. Viken jumped his season-best at the Early Bird, 17-feet, and has declined since. He vaulted 16-feet, 7.25-inches at the following week's John Craft Invite, and then 15-feet, 11-inches at last week’s Indiana Relays. On the women’s side, red-shirt sophomore Jade Riebold remains nationally ranked, entering this weekend as the No. 25 pole vaulter in the country. Riebold has already broken the Eastern record twice in her first year as a Panther. The Panthers’ men’s 400-meter dash runners will have their hands full with the host Irish runners. Men’s 400-meter dash runners Patrick Feeney and Chris Giesting are each ranked No. 17 and 18 in the nation, respectively. Eastern 400-meter dash runners include freshman Stefan Gorol, sophomore Cody Boarman and red-shirt junior Joe Augustine. TRACK, page 7
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Panthers get ready for Morehead State Two teams meeting for first time this season By Alex McNamee Staff Reporter
The Eastern women’s bas ketball team is preparing for its matchup against Morehead State on Saturday, and they are trying to learn from the past. The team came out against Southeast Missouri Wednes day and didn’t expect the effort
the Redhawks played with. The Panthers won the game, but are focused on learning from that game. “You never feel bad winning, but when its not the way you want to win it can be discouraging,” junior guard Ta’Kenya Nixon said. Nixon said Thursday was an intense practice for the team to get ready for the game against Morehead State. The Panthers will be playing Morehead State for the first time this season. Nixon said the Panthers ex-
pect Morehead State to come out in Lantz Arena and play hard as every team does against the Panthers. Morehead State is led in scoring by three players who are averaging double figures. Linda Dixon leads the team averaging 15.3 points per game. Courtney Lumpkin averages 14.7 points per game, while Ashar Harris averages 11.7 points. Nixon said the Panthers expect a different team then the Morehead State teams of past years. GET READY, page 7
KIMBERLY FOSTER | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Junior forward Sydney Mitchell is fouled by Southeast Missouri senior guard Bianca Beck Wednesday during the Panthers' 74-48 home win against the Redhawks in Lantz Arena. The Panthers are 10-0 on the season at home with an overall 18-4 record.